Memories of a Ramadan in Hyderabad: Excerpts from a letter

These are excerpts from a mail I wrote to a friend years ago, when I spent a few days of the Ramadan in Hyderabad.


I have had a nice time at Hyderabad, and I have a local rep who is a nice, helpful Muslim, and I even discussed and enjoyed discussing spiritual matters with his dad, who is fasting for Ramzan. I learnt from my rep that Haleem is the Arabic word, and Harees the Persian for the same fast-breaking food made of meat, whey and wheat...(It seems they also make chicken harees) the place is full of corner signs advertising Haleem..me, staunch veggie, find the picture of goat painted on signs both amusing and revolting. Strange, innit?
And then, I am reminded of my trainee days in Bori Bunder, when I went down to Bhendi Bazaar near JJ Hospital to cover a basketball tournament...Game would stop when the muezzin called out and resume after the call ended..and in that sudden descent into silence, I would smell in that brief interlude an extra dash of the kebab in the air which in the streets would also meet with the olefactory strains of ittar. Hmmm.